Former governor Thomas Kean, a Republican, said last week that Barbara Buono, the New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial nominee and a state senator, was “a nice lady, but not a strong candidate and not qualified to be governor.”

Buono took umbrage with the remark, blasting it as “outdated” and “an anachronism.” She charged that the Garden State has a long history of marginalizing women, but such behavior is now hidden in backrooms.

Kean stood by his comment as it pertained to Buono’s qualifications but conceded that he “probably should have said person.”

Buono, the first female Majority Leader in New Jersey Senate history, is a decided underdog to Governor Chris Christie; the most recent Quinnipiac University poll, released today, places Christie 33 points ahead of his challenger, 64-31.